One of the first trees you spot at William N. Valavanis’ International Bonsai Arboretum is a wisteria planted unconventionally in an unconventional pot.

Wisteria in ~~Tokoname~~ bucket

Beyond it reside trees from the Valavanis Bonsai Collection – an impressive assortment of bonsai cultivated over many years. Below the collection one finds greenhouses and growing grounds with trees for sale ranging from starter material to exhibit ready trees. It takes a long time to wander through it all and when I got to the end I turned around and went through it all again.

Japanese maple

Hornbeam

Japanese maple – kotohime

Great roots

Japanese maple – kotohime

Japanese maple – shishigashira

The day I visited Hiroyoshi Yamaji, in town to participate in the US National Bonsai Exhibition, was giving a workshop. Between visits to the garden, I watched Yamaji help participants get their trees into shape.